The Graves of the Guilty (Hope Street Church Mysteries Book 3) (23 page)

“Last. His first name is Albion.” He turned his back in dismissal.

Cooper wished him good night and drove away.

“Albion.” The name made her grimace in disgust. As she thought about the vile man and his unspeakable acts, an idea took hold in her mind. At the next red light, she took out her cell phone and dialed Ashley’s number.

“You need to pay another visit to Maria Gutierrez,” Cooper told her sister. “And this time, I’m coming with you.”

15

Ashley called Cooper on Wednesday to report that Maria Gutierrez wasn’t answering her phone, so she’d been unable to schedule a visit with her.

“It just rings and rings,” Ashley explained. “I guess she doesn’t have an answering machine.”

“I can understand her not wanting to talk to people right now. Could you imagine fielding calls from telemarketers in her state?” Cooper finished cleaning the dirt from a copier drum and then set the soiled rag onto the floor. “Still, I must talk to her. We’ll just drive over there after I’m done with work today. This can’t wait any longer.”

“Where’s the fire?” Ashley whined. “Lincoln and I have special plans tonight and I’ve just
got
to be waiting for him when he gets home from work.”

“Why? Did you take the pregnancy test?” Cooper asked breathlessly.

“That’s the special part of my plan. I’m going to take it while he’s changing out of his work clothes. If it’s good news, I’ll pop open the champagne for him and the sparkling grape juice for me and we’ll celebrate.” Her voice held a smile. “I even have a little baby plate to put on the dining room table.”

Very quietly, Cooper said, “And if the test is negative?”

Ashley sighed. “Then we’ll drink the real bubbly and try, try again.” Her tone suddenly lightened. “Really, Coop, I’m not going to be upset. Well, maybe a little, but I won’t wallow in self-pity again. After visiting with Maria, I know there’s greater suffering in this world than my not being pregnant.”

“I’m proud of you, Ashley.” Cooper wished she could express her admiration more clearly, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the task at hand. “Can you at least come with me to Maria’s house and introduce us? You can leave right afterward, I promise. Please, Ashley, this is important. I believe Albion Ivan either killed Maria’s son or had him killed and I need to know why. You see, I don’t think Hector stole from him like Miguel did.” Cooper struggled to verbalize her confused thoughts. “There’s a specific reason Ivan uses Hispanic men to do his dirty work. If I can find out why, then maybe the lives of other men like Hector and Miguel can be spared.”

“Don’t you think the police would have gotten that information out of her?” Ashley argued.

“Hector lived with his mother. Maria must have known how he made money and who he worked for, but maybe she was ashamed. She probably just told the police that he worked at a video store,” Cooper reasoned.

“Then why would she tell you the truth after lying to the authorities? You’re a total stranger.”

“There’s no guarantee she’ll tell me anything,” Cooper admitted. “But I’m going to ask her to think of the
other
mothers that could lose
their
sons.” Hearing Ashley’s intake of breath, she hurriedly added, “It’s not a kind thing to say, I know, but this is not the time for delicacy.”

Ashley sighed again, but this time it was mostly theatrical. “I don’t think Emily Post would approve of how you’ve decided to pay your condolences, but you’re my sister, and I’ll give you thirty minutes of my time. However, if Maria’s not home this afternoon, then you must promise to drop this until I can get her on the phone and arrange a proper visit. Deal?”

“Deal,” Cooper replied. “I’ll be at your place by twenty after five.”

Back at the office, Cooper hustled into the break room, hoping Ben and Emilio hadn’t polished off all the egg rolls and fried wontons from the office’s celebratory lunch. It had been Mr. Farmer’s idea to treat the incoming staff members to a decadent takeout lunch from Peking Restaurant, and Cooper was nearly drooling at the thought of sesame chicken served over a pile of fried rice.

Her new hires, Bobby and Josh, welcomed her with a smile. They’d spent most of the morning filling out paperwork but would accompany Cooper on her afternoon maintenance rounds. As soon as the two men became familiar with the Make It Work! clients and the machines included on each service contract, Cooper would send them off on their own. Until then, she decided to mentor them for a week.

“Where’s the female addition to your team?” she asked Ben while pulling out a chair between him and Bobby. “And where’s Angela?”

“Both chicks are in the locker room,” Emilio mumbled, his mouth stuffed with egg roll. “Brandi said she needed to fix her lipstick before lunch and Angela’s cooling off.”

Cooper raised her eyebrows. “Who made her mad?”

“Boss’s sister—the Wicked Witch of the West End,” Emilio muttered. “Told Angela she was bringing Mr. Farmer down. That they were from different worlds and she should back the hell off.” He popped a fried wonton onto his plate and stabbed it with the end of his chopstick. “I heard the whole thing. It’s like a freaking soap opera around this place.” Turning, he slapped Bobby on the back. “Welcome to Make It Work!, pal!”

Bobby smiled. “I have three daughters, my friend. Every day’s a soap opera in our house. Keeps things lively. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Cooper threw him a grateful look. “Things are usually pretty quiet around here. Excuse me, would you? I’m going to go check on Angela.”

She nearly knocked Brandi over as she rushed into the locker room. More accurately, she nearly collided with Brandi’s hair, which was very long and full-bodied. It was also blonde with black tips. Brandi was bent over, pumping copious amounts of holding spray through her locks. Sensing that someone else had entered the room, she flipped herself upright and smiled.

“Hi!” Brandi extended a hand and Cooper did her best to shake it gently, seeing as Brandi’s black and silver acrylic nails looked dangerously pointy.

“Are you having a good first day?” Cooper asked.

“It’s totally awesome! Who
wouldn’t,
like, want to tag along after Emilio?” She giggled and Cooper couldn’t help but smile. If Emilio and Carla had truly called it quits, Brandi was exactly the type of woman he’d likely pursue.

“Ben’s great, too,” Cooper said, feeling that Brandi’s department head shouldn’t be omitted.

“Oh, yeah! He is, like, soooo sweet.” She lowered her voice. “I met him and his wife at an A.A. meeting. During our refreshment break a few weeks ago, I told him I wanted out of Reliable Office Solutions before they went under. I knew he worked here, and even though it took me, like, three meetings to work up the nerve, I finally asked him if y’all were hiring.” She scratched her chin with her thumbnail. “He already knew me inside and out from our meetings. All my secrets, good and bad, and he still gave me a chance!”

Something Brandi had said triggered a thought in Cooper’s memory about Miguel’s case, but she needed to find a quiet place to figure out what it was.

“I’m sure Make It Work! is lucky to have you,” she told Brandi kindly, though she was impatient to find Angela. “Now you’d better get some lunch before there isn’t so much as a fortune cookie left.”

Brandi jerked a thumb toward the bathroom stalls and lowered her voice. “I tried to talk to her, but I figure I’m, like, the new girl on the block and she doesn’t feel like sharing. Still, she’s obviously torn up about something.”

“Angela’s just experiencing a little bump on Relationship Road.” Cooper guided Brandi out the door. “She’ll be just fine.”

“I’d like to run over that
bump
with a tractor trailer!” Angela shouted from deeper within the locker room.

Cooper waited on the bench in front of the employee lockers until Angela had composed herself. When she’d wiped off her face and reapplied her makeup, she sat down next to Cooper and examined herself once more in her compact. Next, she removed a travel-sized perfume bottle from her purse and sprayed her wrists.

“Mr. Farmer gave me this scent for Valentine’s Day.” She sniffed and blinked back fresh tears. “It’s called Petite Cherie and it came in this beautiful glass bottle with two angels on the stopper. I’m tryin’ real hard to focus on him at this moment and not on that shrew who shares his DNA! That harpy in high heels! Medusa in a fur coat!”

“What is she after you about?”

“Not much. She just wants me to find another job and never talk to her brother again,” Angela spat. “That’s all.”

“But you and Mr. Farmer make each other happy. Is she jealous of that happiness?” Cooper asked.

“’Course she is! Who’d date her, no matter how much money she’s got! Oh, I simply
cannot
let her see how she gets under my skin! Time and time again I’ve ignored her snide remarks. Why, I’ve cooked supper for that woman for the past two Sundays and she has yet to thank me. Instead, she makes nasty comments about my butter beans or my garlic bread or what-have-you!” Angela patted a lock of platinum hair back into place. “I’m just afraid that she’ll turn my man against me, Cooper. The woman is grass-green with envy, and folks like that are capable of real cruelty.” She threw her purse on the ground. “Just when I was feeling so secure, I stand to lose everything!”

Cooper took Angela’s hand. “Mr. Farmer is
not
going to stop loving you because his sister wants him to. I’m sorry she’s making life hard for you both, but you’re doing everything right. It’s up to Mr. Farmer now. She’s his sister and she is out of line.”

“But Bea’s all the family he’s got. He’d never cross her—even for me! So I have to bite my lip and smile when what I’d really like to do is smack the woman clear into next week.” Angela’s pink lips formed a pout. “And she’s right about me not bein’ a college graduate or a world traveler and all that, but nobody’s going to love her brother like I do.”

“And she’ll come to realize that eventually. Her envy will fizzle out, you’ll see. It is simply impossible not to like you, Angela.” Cooper put an arm around her friend. “Come on, you can’t be angry when there’s a plate of lo mein with your name on it.”

“Truer words were never spoken.” Angela managed a thin smile. “Thanks, sugar. I just needed to vent a spell. Love can be so complicated sometimes.”

“But it’s worth it.” Cooper slipped an arm around her friend and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

• • •

Five hours later, Cooper followed behind Ashley’s Lexus as they crossed over the Willey Bridge. Cooper always slowed down on the bridge and took brief glimpses of the James River, which moved in dark gray-blue ripples beneath the overpass. Even in the dead of winter, flanked by spiny trees and shrouded by a dull, charcoal-colored sky, the water’s movement was a reminder that not all the world was in a state of hibernation.

Ashley took the exit from the highway south of one of Richmond’s mega-malls and continued driving east toward the Richmond city line. Without bothering to use her turn signal, she abruptly veered into the entrance of Stony Point Village. She drove to the first cluster of brick town houses and parked next to a cargo van with its rear doors left open wide. As Cooper pulled into the space next to her sister’s car, a Hispanic man came out of the closest town house carrying a large cardboard box. He slid the box into the van and then headed back inside without giving the sisters  a second glance. Something about his somber expression and brisk pace made Cooper feel uneasy.

“Looks like Maria’s moving,” Ashley said. “I hope she’s not leaving her job at Love Motors.”

“If that is what she’s doing, we could hardly blame her. I think I’d want to leave everything behind and start over, too,” Cooper said as the man reappeared bearing a suitcase in each arm. He called something over his shoulder in Spanish and two women materialized in the front doorway.

Ashley waved in greeting, but the women didn’t return the gesture. In fact, Cooper was certain she saw fear flash across their faces. The women were nearly identical in appearance—black hair streaked with hints of gray; soft, stocky bodies clad in sweatshirts and snug jeans; round faces; chestnut-brown eyes framed by black lashes.

“Are you moving?” Ashley asked the woman on the right.

Maria Gutierrez nodded. “Yes. This is my sister, Nina. She and her husband are loading the last of my things.” Her tone was polite, but it was clear that she wasn’t in the mood for a social call at the moment.

Courtesy dictated that Ashley and Cooper make their excuses and leave. Ashley opened her mouth to speak when Cooper darted in front of her. “We don’t mean to trouble you, ma’am,” she said, hurrying across the tiny front yard. “I know you’re busy, but do you think you could spare me just a few minutes of your time? It’s very important that we speak.”

“Well . . .” Maria began, but her sister was quick to respond on her behalf.

“Maybe tomorrow,” she said in flawless English. “That would be a more convenient time. We need to finish loading before nightfall.”

“I don’t think you’ll be here tomorrow,” Cooper said softly, locking eyes with Maria. She held out her hands in what she hoped was a gesture of supplication. “Please. It’s about Miguel and Hector. And other boys just like them.”

Maria grabbed onto the doorjamb for support and Nina’s eyes turned dark with indignation. “You have no respect! Leave my sister alone! Hasn’t she had enough pain?”

Ashley was also staring at Cooper, her mouth ajar in horrified embarrassment, but Nina’s reaction confirmed Cooper’s suspicions. The family knew about Hector’s illicit activities. Did that knowledge now endanger them? She sensed that it did.

“I’m begging you, Mrs. Gutierrez,” Cooper whispered plaintively. “Help me prevent Albion Ivan from hurting another boy.” She used the word “boy” deliberately.

It felt like time stopped moving while Maria made up her mind. Nina’s husband squeezed between the two sisters in order to fetch more items from inside the town house. As soon as he passed by, the women instantly reclaimed their positions, standing shoulder to shoulder as if guarding the abode against invaders.